Engines, for example vehicle engines, have included aspirators or ejectors for producing vacuum, and/or check valves. Typically, the aspirators are used to generate a vacuum that is lower than engine manifold vacuum by inducing some of the engine air to travel through a Venturi gap. The aspirators may include check valves therein or the system may include separate check valves. When the check valves are separate, they are typically included downstream between the source of vacuum and the device using the vacuum.
During most operating conditions of an aspirator or check valve, the flow is classified as turbulent. This means that in addition to the bulk motion of the air, there are eddies superimposed. These eddies are well known in the field of fluid mechanics. Depending on the operating conditions, the number, physical size and location of these eddies are continuously varying. One result of these eddies being present on a transient basis is that they generate pressure waves in the fluid. These pressure waves are generated over a range of frequencies and magnitudes. When these pressure waves travel through the connecting holes to the devices using this vacuum, different natural frequencies can become excited. These natural frequencies are oscillations of either the air or the surrounding structure. If these natural frequencies are in the audible range and of sufficient magnitude, then the turbulence generated noise can become heard, either under the hood and/or in the passenger compartment. Such noise is undesirable and new aspirators and/or check valves are needed to eliminate or reduce the noise resulting from the turbulent air flow.
Venturi devices may be constructed with one or more suction ports mounted and operatively connected via a Venturi gap to a lower housing with a motive port and discharge port, such as disclosed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/294,727, filed Jun. 3, 2014, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. However, improvements to generate maximum suction are desirable. Further, manufacturing requirements tend to yield Venturi gaps that taper from the suction port toward the flow path, which creates more turbulence and noise than an aspirator with a symmetrical Venturi gap.
Thus, there is a need to design Venturi devices that more efficiently utilize the suction-producing capabilities of the motive flow, and to design Venturi gaps that generate less turbulence and noise.